A review by booksthrilljessica
Three Keys by Laura Pritchett

5.0

Middle aged, recently widowed and alone, Ammalie Brinks, has decided that she needs to explore. She is hoping that this sudden excursion will help define herself, or find herself. Ammalie is isolated and floundering in a midlife crisis since her husband had a stroke and has been going through the monotony of life. That is until she has a fight with her son and another disconnected conversation with her sister she decides she must visit three destinations to make sense of the grief and who she wants to become.
As Ammalie blunders through each of these three significant locations she begins to realize that she has always arrived and left without a trace, like she doesn't exist. Up until this point Ammalie’s life has been empty, still and boring. With each trip she starts to learn more about herself and what she wants out of this new life she has created. Will she eventually find what she is looking for? Will Ammalie eventually find grace and love for herself?
Overall rating 5/5
This book will hit home for anyone who is around middle age and can identify with the loss of identity. Be it from marriage, being a parent or just simply feeling as though they are invisible in this world. I love the simple nuances that Pritchett places for the reader. How Ammalie had to completely dissociate with her old life and to truly become alone to experience the world for the first time, the stillness that allows her to see and hear everything through a different lens. Also the neverending waiting on her husband, I can utterly relate to and how she just wants to go. At times this character was so confusing however, I do appreciate the concept behind this showing how she really was losing her mind not really living.
The story kept reminding me of The Christmas Carol in the respects that each of the three keys somewhat represented Ammalie’s past, present and future, but done in a modern subtle way. And how she met a character that helped her understand and define each of these stages to her life in each location.

*Thank you to Laura Pritchett, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.